1977 IROC Camaro Race car info needed.

[Al Weyman]

Camaroz I am a newbie here but an old hand at these boards and it was allowing me to post pictures as you can see but that facility seems to have disappeared (admin??). These boards for obvious reasons as they have a finite limit of webspace and maybe that has been reached. They all require that image attachments must be of a maximum size. Do you have webspace and can you upload your image files to that because a lot of boards prefer this more complicated method of posting as the image files are stored on your server not using up their bandwidtha so it is very understandable why this is disirable. I will quickly go throuugh how to do this if I am boring you and preaching to the converted I appologise but it may help. I will also posy a picture to make sure this method is still functional.

) Get your image in to Adobe Photoshop, Corel Photopaint or whatever software you use.

(2) Go to Imnage, then Resize )or resample.

(3) In the image size check box that comes up usually defaulting to inches set this to Pixels.

(4) Set the maximum in any direction to 400 pixels i.e. if it is a landscape image set the wider width to 400 pixels. This board seems to impose a limit of 400 pixels, some allow 600 max.

(5) Set the dpi check box to 72dpi the Internet posting standard and make sure the 'Maintain Aspect Ratio' box is checked and click OK. The image will then be resized to the correct proportions.

(6) Go to 'Save as', name the file a simple short all in lower case mame (less confusing for you when posting but not critical) select .jpg as file time and same to a directory of your choice on the hard drive.

(7) Upload the file to your server by using a commoly available FTP (File Transfer Protocul) programe, I use Leech and although no longer developed is very simple to use and widely available for free download.

(8) Go to your topic on the board then go to the full edit box, click on IMG above the text entry box and in the pop up box that appears Ccarefully type the address where your file is stored, not this is case sensitive throughout so be careful and is why I suggested name the file short and sweet and lower case not as im my example.
(9) Click OK and that is it.


IMG]http://www.cadart.com/Jim's_IROC_Page_files/Camaro18.jpg[/IMG]

Front of the IROC as I bought it 4 or 5 years ago, anyone recognise that decal?[

[Al Weyman]

Camaroz,

After all that waffle it don't work for me now, I will just try this then I give up as well and it won't allow me back to edit after 10 miutes (bit annoying).





This is the front of the car as I bought it 4 or 5 years ago, anyone recognise the decal?

It worked (Thank God) I was beginning to look a right plonker, highlights my point about making the file name and also the folder names very simple lower case, mine is far to long and complex which is why I kept typing it in wrong

[Camaroz]

Big Al,

Thanks for the info. Can't get the shot. Just sent images to your e-mail.

Cheers

[Camaroz]

Al, got it now - OK. Sorry to give you the bad news but that ain't a 45 year old Camaro!!!

[Camaroz]

That was a quick edit!

[Al Weyman]

Do you want me to post the picture for you Camaroz?

[Camaroz]

Yeh - Ta.

Lets see if it works.

Cheers.

[Chris - Melb]

Hi "Camaroz",

I didn't know you owned the Camaro when I spoke with you at the Sandown Historics. What a interesting purchase, well done!

Not long after the meeting I emailed an interior pic of a Brock Commodore that may have interested you. Did you receive it?

You sure know your Camaros. Do you know what happened to the Terry Allan/Graeme Blanchard Camaro?

Chris Meaden
www.MotorsportArchive.com

[Al Weyman]

It will take a couple of minutes to rest it up bear with me.

[Camaroz]

Hi Chris,

I didn't get the interior shot of the Commodore but I sure as hell would like it!

Half the population of Australia looking for the Terry Allen/Blanchard Camaro. It has a bit of history as it was a Yenko built car. Wayne Mahnken also worked on the car for Terry. Last known it was owned by Lakis Manticas in Sydney but Lakis can't remember where he left it!!!

[Steve Holmes]

Camaroz, I can't seem to post images now either! The option to do so has gone. My options box says I 'may not post images'. Was there the other day. I'll try and work out the problem, but did you already email Al the images? If not, let me know and I can send them through.

Thanks for solving the Reinhart Camaro thing. I did wonder if it was the same car. I have a clipping from a magazine which says "This is Peter Reinhart at Hockenheim in 1968, in the famous Penske Camaro that we acid-dipped too much and put the vinyl top on to cover the holes in the roof. The SCCA wouldn't let us run this car; it had 16 inch wheels, a fabricated suspension, monstrous brakes...a radical car, a neat car. The FIA barred it in Europe after this race"

Guys I thought the "famous Penske Camaro with the vinyl roof" was the 69 model car which was acid dipped too much. They took the vinyl off that car and re-roofed it cause their compeitors thought the vinyl roof much have been giving them an advantage. The SCCA made them take it off. Funny though the car didn't win a race with the vinyl, but did as soon as they took it off.

The Reinhart car certainly has a vinal roof though. I'll go check out the Trans-Am site and find out the cars history.

[Al Weyman]

Right here we go (I hope. This is Camaroz superb looking ex-Frank Gardener SCCA Camaro 1st Gen



For your information Camaroz, the file size was Waaaayyyy Tooooo Biiiggg for posting. I got it into Corel Photo-Paint, first set the dpi to 72 than in a 2nd operation resized it to 599 pixels in width. If this does not post I will drop it to 400 but 600 will do the picture more justice, and hey Nice car, Lucky man.

[Camaroz]

Al, it sure came up a treat!

Steve, have a look at the following for the 'lightweight' camaro story.
www.ashcom.homestead.com/LightweightCamaro.html

Got both the 68 Sunoco and Smoky Yunick 1/18ths today!

[Chris - Melb]

I corresponded via email with Lakis and was a bit "surprised" that he couldn’t remember what happened to it. Very odd… Did he ever race it?

Via my web site I received an email from a guy who seemed to think he was very close to tracking the car down, but he has not answered any of my emails since.

In the 1970s I remember that it was reported that it ended up on the drag strips.

Norm Beechey’s Camaro also seems to be MIA. I always thought that Bryan Thomson’s car was it. I remember that Norm was going to have his car converted to RH drive to sell it off as a road car and I thought he sold it to drag racer Neville Thompson (also Shepparton based I believe).

Bryan’s Thomson’s RH drive car was ex-Neville Thompson. However, Norm Beechey says he doesn’t remember who he sold it too, but he knows Bryan fairly well, so I would have thought he would have contacted Bryan when he tried to find the car recently as that car is still around it seems.

Chris.

[Al Weyman]

If you are intrested in the ex-Brocks Mk 1 Holden Commadore you may be interseted to know I raced my 3rd Gen Camaro against it several times in the Falken Tyre (now Toyo Tyres) Modified Production Saloon Car Championship backin 96/97.

Unfortunately I was having a few teething problems with the 3rd Gen car (someone nameless could not measure the available bell housing space and the integral hydraulic release bearing was holding the clutch open causing burn out plus a fuel delivery problem due to faulty Holley parts) and could not get on the pace of Peter Barnes in the Commodore. I stopped racing shortly because of a family tragedy in 97 and never did get it right on the track in anger. I have now sorted the car to a great extent and I think it would now have given the Brocky car a damned good run for the money but it was a shame me and Peter never got on the track together with both cars running right as we had great dices over the years in my 2nd Gen and his Capri's. I think Peter sold the car to a Dutch guy, not sure. I know he wanted to buy my 3rd gen but at the time I was not selling.

[Camaroz]

Big Al,

My Brock Commodore is the first (Marlboro Holden Dealer Team) Commodore built, a VB, that was used to win the 1980 ATCC and CRC 300 before being handed on to John Harvey as the No.25 MHDT car for Sandown and Bathurst. It later went to Clive Benson Brown, Garry Rogers and Jim Keogh.

The Commodore you ran against was one of the two VK (1984 - Last of the Grouop C) cars built by the MHDT. Most records show the car as being the Harvey/Parsons car that came second. It was sold to a mate of Brocks in WA before finding its way to the UK. It was bought back to Oz in 2000 and then sold to a Brock Collector who has restored the car as the 05.

[Al Weyman]

WoW that is real interesting. I was running the race series at the time and was chairman of the Racing Saloon Car Club and although a fellow competitor kept getting dragged into scrutineering disputes as I had penned the regulations (bit of a conflict I know, but hey that is club racing). I am sure the car was not 100% kosher to the regulations and had to give it the third degree once or twice, Byt heck it was brilliant to see it in the championship and he was not wiping the board with it so some flexibility was allowed if you know what I mean.

[Camaroz]

Chris,

Thommo's car went to Robin Pare in Tasie then to Peter Sportelli. Peter is currently collecting bits to start the resto.

I think Beecheys car was a 327 ci. The Thommo car was a 396 originally though they could never keep a gear box behind it. Thommo even tried to run an auto trans but CAMS put the ky-bosh on that.

[Al Weyman]

Thats interesting about the auto box did anyone ever race successfully with ad auto.

[Camaroz]

Al,

I have a faint memory of a Dodge Ramcharger at Calder (Pirotta?) with a push button auto in the 60's, Rusty French may have run a Chev Impala with an auto and there was a very successful Valiant (Tilley) in Group Nc Historic sedans. Jim hall ran an auto in one of the Chapparal's and of course F1 now use auto's!!!

[Al Weyman]

I find it strange that CAMS (I assume they are the governing body) would not allow an auto trans, I thought with the power loss through a fluid transmission it would have been a distinct disadvantage.

[Chris - Melb]

Thanks Camaroz, I had heard that Sportelli still has the car, which is good news, presuming it has been well kept.

I have seen reports that Thommo had a 427ci engine as well as a less troublesome smaller (small block?) as well. My general engine knowledge is not my strong point!

I read that Alan Cailli had the Ramcharger although from the old race reports I have seen it was a bit of a dog.

Al, I don’t know of CAMS ever banning them (Camaroz, was it simply not homologated for the Camaro?). Mind you, when you think of the gearbox that Bob Jane used in his Camaro you would have to wonder if the scrutineers ever looked all that hard!

Power loss stops most people using them but back in the early days manual gearboxes were not very strong so autos were a better option from a reliability point of view. They are/were popular in drag racing circles.

I remember auto Ford Falcons running at Bathurst circa 1969

Chris.
www.MotorsportArchive.com

[Al Weyman]

Thanks for the info Chris, the regulations I built my 3rd gen to allowed me to fit a manual box in lieu of the standard car (5.7 IROC) only being available with an auto trans but it was a lot of work converting it and I have often contemplated running the computer controlled 4 speed auto GM box especially when I had a whole lot of trouble when I first did the conversion with an internal hydraulic clutch realease bearing holding over and burning out clutches. I read somewhere that some company had developed this in the States where you tke the car out in practice and instruct the computer to change up or down at certain points on the track.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks for the link Camaroz. From what I can tell (someone please correct me if I'm wrong), Penske built 2 Camaro's in 67, and one in 68??? The first was the one which rolled down a bank in a road accident, but apparently rebuilt, and which had the heavy .060 inch think rollcage tubing. The second was the lightweight car which was updated to 68 aesthetics the following year, and then the 68 which was just a very well thought out car.

Either the lightweight or the 68 was sold to Sam Posey at the end of the 68 season, which he then sold to the GM museum, and one went to Europe, as you said Camaroz. But none of them had vinyl roofs. Did the European car have the vinyl roof fitted in Europe?

Check out this link which Chris sent me a few months back. The Camaro in the pic on the right hand side next to Gardners Mustang. Could that be the Penske car?
http://www.ponysite.de/transam_gardner.htm

The two all new 69 cars both had vinyl roofs because they'd been dipped too much, but only for the first 3 or so races, when they were taken off. Interesting how nobody made a fuss of the vinyl roof on the Posey Challenger. Those Challengers looked great. So too did the AAR Cuda's, which I think were the best looking cars of the Trans-Am, only behind Smokey Yunnicks beautiful black and gold 67 Camaro.

So folks, what was your favourite Trans-Am car? From 1966 to 1971.

[thunder road]

Steve; first thought/visual,that springs to mind is the penske/'69Camaro/Sunoco,and a winner !!!!!!!!!!!!!